Visceral and Cranial Manipulation

Gentle. Powerful. Critical.

You may experience pain so deep it feels like no one can reach the source. Different types of treatment may give some relief, but the respite doesn’t last. For years, I have been treating clients with Visceral and Cranial Manipulation. I consider this modality one of “the best-kept secrets in bodywork.” Originally developed by French Osteopath Jean-Pierre Barral, Visceral and Cranial Manipulation releases strain, adhesions, and impingements at the deepest levels of the body. Today, the collective wisdom of generations of healers informs my practice.

Car accidents, bad falls, sports injuries, old surgeries, or any other physical and emotional trauma can cause strain and injury to organs, nerves, blood vessels, bones, ligaments, and the cranial sacral system. These “deep” sensitive and critical parts of the body collect tension and injuries just like muscles do.

Restrictions in the visceral and cranial structures will cascade through and surface in all parts of the body causing a multitude of symptoms and dysfunction. The body perceives these structures as critical to its’ survival and will tighten muscles, restrict movement, and reduce function to “protect” compromised viscera in an effort to relieve stress and irritation on these deep structures. Unfortunately, these adaptive responses still hurt and can continue long after the initial injury has healed or can actually prevent the original wound from healing.

For example, restrictions in the lower intestines can cause low back pain. Adhesions in the covering of the spinal cord can cause neck pain and headaches. Impingements in the nerves and blood vessel feeding the legs can cause inflexibility, muscle fatigue, and edema.

When I treat a client with “deep” pain, a careful assessment guides me to the restrictions in the body. Then, using gentle hands-on manipulation, I relieve strain in the underlying nerve, blood vessel, or organ, etc. As the viscera is freed, adjoining muscles and joints relax, the restrictions that guided me to the site release, and the body can return to normal function. Pain that has lasted for years can be released in minutes. Clients are often amazed at how much better they feel after a treatment. This modality is well worth a try for chronic pain.